A concert of a very different sort [from Angela Hewitt's performance on Friday, October 4, at the National Arts Centre], part of the Outaouais Festival of Sacred Music, took place on yesterday evening at St-Benoît-Abbé in Gatineau. It was an evening of Swedish music, mostly choral, sponsored by the Embassy of Sweden.

The performers included the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, the Canzona Vocal Ensemble from Winnipeg and the Orchestre des concerts symphoniques de Gatineau. This impressive aggregation and a couple of soloists were under the direction of Swedish conductor Erik Westberg.

With the exception of three short pieces, the program was given to the music of Johan Helmich Roman, a contemporary of Handel who is regarded as the earliest Swedish composer of enduring importance. His Concerto for oboe opened the program. Soloist Frederic Hodgson and the orchestra delivered a solid, spirited account of this fine piece which, if it didn't sound strikingly original, didn't remind one of any other composer in particular.

The big piece on the program was a Lutheran Mass by Roman (i.e., consisting only of a Kyrie and Gloria), a setting of the traditional Latin text, but translated into Swedish. This gorgeous, imposing piece ought to be a staple of the choral repertoire, but its language will probably prevent that outside of Scandinavia.

Once again, Westberg led a committed, persuasive account of the score. The solo singing, from within the choir, was of variable quality, but good on average. Three a capella works by 20th century Swedes occupied the middle of the program.

The most striking of the three was Jan Sandström's Jojk till fjällvinden, a complex and beautiful work based on some Sami chants. Ottawa's favourite aboriginal musician, Ian Phillips, was on hand to participate with his Iroquois drum and his fine tenor voice.